Autumn ‎– "Experiments With Environments" (Micrart ‎– MC 8207) 1982

Another understated Belgian dark-synth outing for the Micrart label from 1982. There are many murkily mellow moments lurking among a dusky mixture of Vangelis, Soft Cell, without Almond, and Yazoo, without Alf.Mostly it sounds like autumn,as in trees without leaves...the season,not the band.One for relaxing in the bath in candlelight.

Tracklisting:

A1 Ocilado Q
A2 Memories
A3 Twilight World Part 1
A4 Towards Tokio Part 1
A5 Reach You From Behind My Walls
A6 I Still Care
A7 Gardens
A8 Friday
A9 Mystery Screen
A10 Twilight World Part 2
B1 My New Friend
B2 PSI, A Destiny Experience
B3 Metal Dream
B4 The Possession L.
B5 7.49
B6 Towards Tokio Part 2
B7 Experiments With Environments
B8 Pale Mist Meditation
B9 Delayed Mind Creation

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Twilight Ritual ‎– "The Ritual" (Micrart ‎– MC 8210) 1982

A dark minimal wave C-60 on the short-lived Belgian Micrart cassette label. Which revived itself around the turn of the millenium as a CD-r label.Unlike most Belgian labels, this one concentrated on mellow electronics rather than putting the boot in,in the traditional Belgian Style.
Twilight Ritual, were,as you may have guessed ,an electronic duo,with Micrart supremo Geert Coppens on the microphone and lyrics. Its uncharicteristically slow, somber, and subtle for a Belgian electronic duo,and all the better for it.
They even reformed and began releasing records again around the year 2000,presumably after the resurgence of interest in pre-midi synth wave stuff.


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De Brassers ‎– "Levend" (Bras Tapes ‎– 001) 1981

More Factory/Benelux style Joy Division forgery from De Brassers. Sounding not unlike a JD live bootleg recording,minus Ian Curtis's desperate baritone naturally.Also its sung in Flemish,which I can't recall Curtis ever stooping to.
Joy Division ain't gonna record anymore records ,so this stuff and their cohorts are the nearest thing we're all gonna get to the real thing. Kinda like a Joy Division Nuggets series......Now there's an idea?
It says on Discogs:"De Brassers are one of the most notorious bands in Belgian new wave/punk history".....really? What on earth did these chaps get up to then? Naughty boys.Shocking.
They still exist apparently?? Dad rocking for post-nostalgic kids who missed out on rocks golden era.

Tracklisting:

A1 Neo 2
A2 Twijfels
A3 Eruit
A4 Kontrole
A5 Neo 5 (Sick In Your Mind)
A6 De Grote Vergissing
A7 Neo 4 (Murder)
A8 Neo 1 (Rise And Fall)
B1 Neo 3
B2 Pijn
B3 Neo 6 (Instrumental)
B4 En Toen Was Er Niets Meer
B5 Neo 7
B6 Gesprek
B7 Interview
B8 Experiment

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Secret Life ‎– "Secret Life" (Secret Life Self-Released) 1984

They looked like the Belgian Duran Duran, but sound like 1st Album Modern English crossed with B-league Factory Records also-rans like The Wake.
The chanteuse sings in a strange ,but dramatic,,throaty pseudo operatic female baritone; which is at once laughable, yet compelling. I imagine she took herself very very seriously, which is almost obligatory for any Goth wave group worth their salt.
The flaccid Martin Hannett facimile production is perfect.Largely cymbal-less drums emulate a drum machine wrapped in several yards of loft insulation. Acoustically sterile basslines hang in the dank air, only to be scythed through by spidery guitar melodies to shed some dull light into the echo free claustrophobia........ooooooh! I could write like this all day.
Yep I love production values like this.Throw that bloody reverb in the garbage can.
Fear not, Secret Life are not New Romantics,or futurists...I think.....but I can imagine them all owning a Classix Nouveaux LP, or two?.....and rhetorically speaking, what's wrong with that!!?

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Siglo XX ‎– "Siglo XX" (Straatlawaai Prod.) 1981

Siglo XX was a Belgian cold wave band from Genk, who remained active somehow, from 1978-1990.

Like the Mick Green (Pirates), Wilko Johnson(Dr Feelgood),Andy Gill (Gang of Four) progression for fractured lead/rhythm guitar*; here we have a fine example of the Jean Jacques Burnel (Stranglers), Peter Hook (Warsaw etc) and millions of doomladen youths all over the planet who wanted to the lead bass player in Joy Division,or at the very least Section 25..(inhale)...progression?

I dunno who the bass player was, but a couple of the group managed to acquire the very same army surplus raincoat (see photo below) that Ian Curtis wore in several of his iconic photographs from back in the day.

Siglo XX with raincoats,and what seems like a couple of members who wouldn't let punk rock go....too much personell in this band or wot?

Lead Bass aside,we have two dueling Bernard Albrechts,and some atmospheric synthesizers.Which adds up to some charming amateur post-punk dark wave.
The vocalist is no Ian Curtis however, and sounds rather self-conscious...something one couldn't accuse Curtis himself of in the slightest.
They went on to record several LP's, none of which I have heard...but I like this post Joy Division effort a lot.In fact, I like any of these adorable JD Clones, of which Siglo XX were just one of a cast of thousands.

(* unfortunately the Mick Green progression led ultimately to the supremely awful Red Hot Chilli Peppers......be careful what you start with your genius kids!)

Tracklisting:
A1 Whispers
A2 Fall
A3 Obsession
A4 Future
A5 Factory
A6 Calculated Mistakes
A7 Good News
B1 Progress
B2 Caraïbian Nightmares

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Vita Noctis ‎– "Much Money Good Boy No Money Good-Bye" ( Camera Obscura ‎– K012) 1985

What was that?!....a sense of humour on open display????...laugh laugh cuckle chuckle.....several black stars on the Goth naughty list for these ,usually, suitably miserable Belgians.
Amusing,tee-hee-Hee, but socially accurate title aside.Vita Noctis deliver the same acoustically, and emotionally, dead dark wave as featured on their debut cassette from the previous year. I say acoustically dead, but I do sense a touch of amp spring reverb on the vocals this time around. It still sounds like the same entry level drum machine, which the concensus of opinion suggests to be a Boss Dr.Rhythm DR110(?)......a fine piece of equipment that sounds like a drum machine instead of trying to emulate a real drum kit(turns out it was a TR808 after all!). Of course, later this same year entry level Digital models started penetrating the basement level of bedroom musicians everywhere, and electronic instruments started to try and sound like the stuff they were designed to replace. A keyboard sounding like a crap trumpet is not my idea of technological advancement.Why not just get a trumpet, and have your synth sound like a synth?.....which of course we now do in the 21st century.

Tracklisting:

A1 Hade
A2 These Lies
A3 On A Day Like This
A4 Once In A Lifetime
B1 The Last Delay
B2 Against The Rule
B3 Expose
B4 New Image
B5 Execution

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